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Episode 16: Bible Study Basics for Families and Why it Matters image

Episode 16: Bible Study Basics for Families and Why it Matters

S2 E16 · Rootlike Faith
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67 Plays3 years ago

Mentioned in this episode:

Genesis 1

Psalm 33:6

Hebrews 1:3

Exodus 31:18

Acts 2

Genesis 3

Faith Forward Family Devotion 

The Dig for Kids: Proverbs 

The Dig for Kids: James 

Matthew 4

Proverbs 3

Other favorite kid's resources:

Indescribable

The Beginner's Bible

Goodnight Warrior

God's Little Princess Bedtime Devotional

The Child's Story Bible

Adored

No More Excuses

 

Connect with Ruth here:

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Connect with Pat here:

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This podcast is produced and edited by Angie Elkins Media, Inc. 

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Transcript

Introduction to Root Like Faith Podcast

00:00:01
Speaker
Hi, I'm Ruth Schwenk and I'm so thrilled you're listening in with us at Root Like Faith. It is our deepest desire to encourage and equip men and women to be rooted in God's word, transformed by the love of Jesus and moved by his mission in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more important.

Teaching Children About God's Character

00:00:20
Speaker
Well, on today's episode of Root Like Faith, we are exploring how to teach our kids to know the character of God by studying the Bible. We're getting down to the basics. This is gonna be really good and really practical, which you know is my very, very favorite. So let's get going.
00:00:39
Speaker
Well, as we said last week, one of the greatest joys we have in life is this calling with God's help, of course, to shape our children's hearts, to ground them, to guard them and guide them into God's amazing truth, love and grace.
00:00:57
Speaker
And of course, the goal here is that one day we release them into the world for God's glory.

Role of Parents in Children's Faith

00:01:04
Speaker
And okay, wow, I know that sounds like a lot. We want, we too want to see faith move forward in our family and the world, but it's not easy, is it, honey?
00:01:13
Speaker
No, it sure isn't. I think one of the things we've been talking about over the last couple of weeks is that just having that perspective that, yeah, it is God's calling on our lives as parents to shape our kids, to disciple them with His help, to raise them up, to love Jesus and to walk with Him. And yet at the same time, we live with this awareness that this is God's work. I mean, He's the one that is pursuing our kids.
00:01:35
Speaker
and drawing them by His grace, His unmerited favor, love, to even give them the faith to trust in Jesus. And so we live with those, I think those two realities, God's calling on our life, calling for us to be faithful. At the same time, God's faithfulness, that this is His work and it's His grace that saved us as adults and it'll be God's grace that saves our kids in His way and in His timing. And so it is, it's a challenge. And yet at the same time, there's so much relief and freedom that can come too.
00:02:03
Speaker
when we realize at the end of the day, this is God's work and not just ours. Oh honey, that was perfect. Amen. Okay. I guess we can be done now.

Why Teach Bible Basics to Children?

00:02:12
Speaker
Well, so today we're going to talk about Bible study basics for families and why it matters. And I love the word basics because I feel like we make it so
00:02:21
Speaker
complicated it doesn't need to be so complicated and so we want to talk about how we can actually as parents be that first impression of who God is or what God is like okay that I guess is a lot feels like a lot that's a big order right
00:02:37
Speaker
The way God has ordered the family is that a father and mother should be the first reflection of the character of God. And like I said, this is an incredible responsibility, pretty scary, but I think it's important that we remember this, that so much of how our kids view God will be shaped by our own character in conduct, and we have a responsibility to teach our children the Bible. But again,
00:03:05
Speaker
we don't have to make it so complicated. So we're going to talk about those basics today. So we're going to get really practical, which you know is my very favorite. But I want to start with why this even matters.

Importance of Understanding God's Word

00:03:17
Speaker
Like, why is it so important that our kids understand God's word?
00:03:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think I've shared this before, so forgive me if I have. But I just remember God giving me faith as a young child and giving me a love for his word. Like, I can remember being seven, eight years old and just having a desire to go upstairs to my room and read the Bible. I know that sounds so spiritual. I mean, it does. Wow.
00:03:40
Speaker
trade baseball card, whatever. So I wasn't quite the monk as I sound as a young child, but I do remember just as a young age having a real desire to know God's word and to read my picture Bible with a red cover. And so I'm just so grateful for the way God, even at an early age, gave me
00:03:58
Speaker
a love for him, but also a love for his word. And God's word plays such a central role in shaping us, molding us as we think about parents. God's word plays such a central role in terms of shaping our kids. And so we want to talk about that today in practical ways. But what you're talking about, I think we just need to step back and remember why God's word is so important to begin with.
00:04:20
Speaker
Right. And especially if we come from from a more Protestant evangelical background, which we do, that that is, you know, God's word is so central to our understanding of who God is, what he's done for us and the spiritual life. And so as a parent, you know, God's word plays such a central role. And so one of the things I think is just, you know, fascinating to think about is that when we begin to read the Bible.
00:04:42
Speaker
One of the things we notice is that God is a God who speaks. Theologians call this God's decree, that when God speaks or he says something, things happen. Creation listens and obeys. And so you just see that at the very beginning. Genesis chapter one or Psalm 33 verse six is this description of God speaking and creation responding. Hebrews chapter one verse three,
00:05:05
Speaker
referring to Jesus, he's the image of the invisible God, and he's sustaining all things by his powerful word, the writer says. And then as we read throughout the Bible, you begin to see that throughout the history of God's people, God's word in written form plays a really, really important

Power of God's Word in Believers' Lives

00:05:24
Speaker
role. So you just think about God commanding Moses to write down on two tablets of stone his commandments.
00:05:30
Speaker
Exodus 31 verse 18 is that story of God telling Moses, here's what I want you to tell my people. Here's how they're to live. And Moses comes down from the mountain, gives them those words. And so God's word was to play a formative role and was to shape his people in such a way that they would be different from everybody else around them. They'd be a light into all the nations.
00:05:52
Speaker
And then you see it in some of the other history books or the prophetic books where God uses prophets or He uses the law to call His people back to reform and to repentance, to mourning, to fasting. And of course, in the New Testament, we see it over and over again. You just think of the book of Acts where those early followers of Jesus, they met together in homes and
00:06:12
Speaker
The writer says in Acts 2 that they devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings, which of course would become our New Testament. And so you see God's Word. It's powerful. It's active. It is shaping God's people, his community, his church.
00:06:28
Speaker
And so I think as we translate that into being a mom or a dad today, it's remembering God's word is not just, they're not just words on a piece of paper.

Centering Family Life Around God's Word

00:06:37
Speaker
This isn't just a book. I mean, this is God's word to us that there is authority. These aren't just man's words. These are God's words. And they're necessary. We can't know certain things about God. We can't know how to be saved apart from God's word.
00:06:52
Speaker
And they're sufficient. You know, they're enough for us to know who God is, what it is that he desires for us, how we come into a right relationship with Jesus. And so God's word is just such a important, important thing for us to have at the center of our life, but certainly at the center of our families as we're thinking about rooting our kids in faith.
00:07:12
Speaker
I love that because and I kept thinking, wow, as you were sharing all that, I kept thinking, wow, we forget how easy it is for us to forget the power of God's word. And not just for our kids. You know, I think about our kids and the desire we have for them to love God's word. Let's talk about ourselves. You know, like it starts with us. And I think that's really important for us to remember as parents, like
00:07:40
Speaker
Do you really believe that God's Word is powerful in your life? You're exactly right. I know that we're going to kind of transition to that here in just a minute, but it is interesting. You're saying that reminded me of how, you know, back to Genesis 1, Genesis 2, Genesis 3, of course, are those opening chapters of the Bible, which is telling the story of God, you know, ordering the cosmos and setting right the world and bringing into existence all that there is. And so every time God speaks, I think nine different times in Genesis 1, it says, and God said,
00:08:09
Speaker
and God said, and God said, and his creation is responding. And yet the very first time that the creation does not respond to his word is, of course, the story in Genesis 3 when God had said, don't eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And that will be the first time that humanity will hear God's word and disobey it.
00:08:30
Speaker
And so up to that point, God's creation had listened to him, had obeyed him. In Genesis 1, Genesis 2, God said, let there be light, and there was light. So creation is responding in the positive, and yet humanity made in his image. When they hear God's word, they actually disobey. And so we just see that at the very beginning of the story, that even though God has spoken, even though God's word is powerful, that we have a tendency this side of the Garden of Eden to disbelieve in God.
00:08:58
Speaker
to disobey Him, to doubt God's Word. And so we have this internal struggle, even as followers of Jesus, as Christians, to sometimes not take God at His Word, not to listen to Him. And so again, as we think about our kids, that struggle is theirs too. And so it's just as we're continuing to talk about rooting our kids in faith, we're gonna get into some real basics. There's also a battle that goes on with God's Word, just as we saw at the very beginning of the story.
00:09:25
Speaker
And so God's word is not being proclaimed and taught and memorized in a vacuum. There is a battle that the enemy wants to snatch God's word, wants to cast doubt or cause doubt. And so anyways, I just want to add that I know that that's getting away from what we're talking about.
00:09:41
Speaker
No, but I think it's important for us to remember, like I just said, that there is such power in God's Word. And if we're going to start with us as parents, let's start there because we are the example to our kids.
00:09:59
Speaker
And the question is, I would just ask, are you being an example to your kids of somebody who loves God's word? And I have a few questions here just to ask yourself to think about that I think may be helpful in this. Do your kids see you reading your Bible? Do they hear you talking about what God is speaking to you about?
00:10:24
Speaker
Are you reading the Bible together as a family? And is it a priority to take a Bible to church? I feel like those are helpful questions to just think about because, again, as a parent, you know, of course, I want to impart truth to my kids. I want to teach them the Bible, but I really need to do some self-examination here.
00:10:45
Speaker
Yeah, those are excellent questions. I think those ought to be things we just sort of sit on and think about. And like we said before, we really are going to be the first image of who God is to our kids. And that's the way God has ordered the family. It's what he calls a dad to, a mom to. And so we're putting on display for our kids the heart of God, the character of God.
00:11:05
Speaker
And as we're thinking about just treasuring God's word, knowing God's word, having a hunger and thirst for righteousness, are kids seeing that? Is that being demonstrated in our own home? Do our kids see Dad sitting down in the chair and vegging out to Netflix or watching ESPN for hours? Or do they see Dad open with a Bible and a commentary or a good book? And I know that's not everybody.
00:11:28
Speaker
Everybody's gonna pick up a commentary, but do they see us having a spiritual hunger and desire to really know God's word? Is that normal throughout the week, or do they just see us doing that on a Sunday morning? And I think that can be so formative in a kid's life. You had mentioned the idea of taking a Bible to church.
00:11:47
Speaker
I know, honey, I shouldn't even have brought that up. And so that is a, I know, I just think. But I mean, pastor here, you know. Yeah, this is, but I do, I think that's such a, you know, our kids, they hear me say all the time, you wouldn't go to a baseball game without your baseball mitt. And so I use that. If you were playing. If you were playing baseball, right, unless you're just going to watch. Right. And so I use that sort of illustration to say when you're going to church, you're going to learn, you're going to worship, you're going to hear God's word taught. So take your Bible, take your mitt.
00:12:15
Speaker
You know, don't show up at the baseball field without your mitt or your bat. And I know that I don't want to sound legalistic or rigid in that. The reason I think that's so important for kids, especially, you know, we live in a day and age where, you know, any verse can be pulled up on a phone or a tablet. And I think one of the reasons why it's so important to teach your kids to take their Bible to church is you're helping them learn God's word. You know, someday when they're 17, 18, 19 years old and they know the books of the Bible and they know where things are at,
00:12:46
Speaker
Fair enough. We've all done that. But I think that can in and of itself just be a really, really practical way for kids to learn the Bible if they have to take their Bible to church. And hopefully your pastor is preaching from the Bible and encouraging people to open up their Bibles. You know, when he does that, they've got to scramble around, you know, like every 13-year-old who's, you know, nervous about, oh, no, I can't find Nehemiah.
00:13:08
Speaker
That's so good for them. You know, it's so good. That's how you learn God's Word. It's how you get comfortable with God's Word. And so I'm a huge believer in encouraging kids to take their Bible to church for that reason and others, of course. Well, and I mean, again, going back to where we started there, if we really believe that God's Word is powerful and active in our lives,
00:13:32
Speaker
and our faith really centers around all that it teaches us, then we, that, I mean, not just our kids, but obviously us as adults, like we would be taking our Bible to church. This could be, we could do a whole episode just on this. Well, and I just think that, you know, now I'm really on a roll here. I'm sorry. No, I'm not sorry. But no, I mean, I think you're exactly right. And I think that just what it communicates about what we treasure. I mean, I take a Bible,
00:13:59
Speaker
even when I'm not preaching, because whoever's preaching, there's stuff that's going to come out of the pastor's mouth that I want to make sure I don't forget. And I want to jot that down. I want to highlight or make a note. I mean, I know that I just opened my Bible and there's notes all over because I would forget. And so I just think even taking the Bible shows that we treasure God's word, that we really do want to not just hear it,
00:14:21
Speaker
but we want to hear it and know it and remember it. And I think taking a Bible to church in particular, writing in the notes, highlighting, those are just great ways that we can not only hear God's word, but also help memorize and learn it. And so I'm a big, as you can see, I'm a big advocate for taking the Bible to church and teaching our kids to do that as well. One of the other questions that I had asked is, do your kids see you reading

Practical Tips for Instilling Love for the Bible

00:14:45
Speaker
your Bible? And that's something that I thought of
00:14:48
Speaker
Several years ago, I would get up so early that I was done maybe reading the Bible by the time the kids got up. Maybe you need to spend a little more time. Anyways, but I do remember it at some point thinking, oh, but I want them to see.
00:15:07
Speaker
I do want them to see me with my Bible open. There's just something about that. When your kids can see you studying God's Word, and also the other question, do they hear you talking about what God is speaking to you about? I mean, even just our everyday language of, oh my word, did you see what God did?
00:15:27
Speaker
in that situation. Just making that normal. Yeah just making that normal. So definitely it starts with us as the parent being an example to our kids of a student of the Word. You know somebody who loves God's Word. So let's get really practical and basic because you know this is like the part I was ready to get to in the very beginning. But how do we teach our kids to love God's Word?
00:15:53
Speaker
We're talking about being an example and all that, but when we get down to it practically, how can we actually get them involved in this? More than just them seeing us, how do we then take that and help get them involved in really loving God's word?
00:16:12
Speaker
Okay, I feel like there will be seasons here where you feel like, oh, my kid, you know, they get it. They're really into their Bible this week, right? Right today. Right today. And then like three weeks later, you're like, oh, no, I don't think they've ever done a devotion in their life.
00:16:28
Speaker
So I need to state that up front, because this does not look perfect. And this looks like continual work. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's good. One of the things I was thinking about after our last episode that I wished I would have mentioned is that just not projecting on our kids where we're at in the journey. That's good. And what I mean by that is that I think sometimes we can expect our kids at 7 or at 11 or even 18
00:16:53
Speaker
be at the same place that we're at in our spiritual journey or walk with God. And just the reality is that you go back to when you were 17 or when you were 11. And so I think just being patient with them and continuing to model faithfulness and a love for God's word. And so yeah, it doesn't always look perfect. And there's times that you just get really excited and you're super encouraged because of where they're at. And there's other times you're like, Oh no, what did I do wrong?
00:17:17
Speaker
And it's a long journey, and God is the one who's doing the changing. But just remembering not to put on them where we're at on the journey and where they're at in the journey. That this is their walk with God, and God's doing it in His way and His timing. That's a really good point.
00:17:33
Speaker
So practically, I think, you know, I think, okay, I'm trying to think back to when our kids were really little. And I know we've mentioned this before on the podcast, but I mean, we were, there are so many devotionals, kids, devotionals, um, kids, Bibles for when they're really little or little kids prayer books, just honestly being consistent in reading those at night with them.
00:17:56
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's, I mean, just to put it even more simply, is just to commit to reading the Bible on a weekly basis with your family, right? I mean, that's what you're talking about is just picking a children's Bible or a devotional, depending on the ages of your kids, and just saying, we're going to set a time each week, whether that's every night before bed, or we're going to do three nights a week this week. But just, yeah, carving out time where you're going to intentionally
00:18:22
Speaker
Um, read God's word together as a family or a Bible or, or a devotional. Yeah. And so we, I know we've mentioned this before, but we have a family devotional. We'll make sure we put a link to that in the show notes called faith forward. And that's, I mean, essentially it's a hundred devotions, um, to take your family through the Bible and it's for kids of all ages.
00:18:44
Speaker
Yeah, that one in particular, we had written that for the, I think the real life family that has kids in all different ages. And so that one's written for kids that are really six, seven up until really, I think through high school, somebody could get something from that. And so that's a great resource.
00:19:03
Speaker
that the entire family could go through together. And so, Faith Forward is a fantastic book, fantastic resource that really will help you as a parent teach your kids the Bible, you know, from Genesis to Revelation.
00:19:16
Speaker
One thing in particular that I love that we did with that family devotional is to have a main, a key idea, a main idea for each, because I feel like with kids, it's like, okay, so what's the point? You know what I mean? Like you just want as a parent to know what is the point of this devotion that I want my kids to walk away with. So we definitely included that. They're very simple devotionals, but devotions,
00:19:39
Speaker
But with a simple prayer that will, again, I think be good for any age. And we did that on purpose because as parents, you know, over the years, knowing with kids, for kids that are different ages, I feel like we always struggled to find the right, you know, the right devotional that we could do as a family. Not individually. I think with our kids, you know, individually, it was different. But as a family, that's where it got a little more tricky.
00:20:09
Speaker
So that's Faith Board Family Devotional. I think one of the important things too is before we move on to one of the other sort of next practical things or simple things we can do is just remembering that like the goal, especially when your kids are young, is just to give them truth, just to plant seeds.
00:20:25
Speaker
And I think sometimes we can get so caught up and do they know enough? Do they understand enough? And I think, you know, especially when kids are young, I mean, roughly up to the age of 10, I mean, kids are thinking more concretely. They haven't yet started, even though they can ask them great questions. I mean, kids are not necessarily thinking abstractly as they will as they get older. And so I think especially if your kids are young, like the goal is just to plant God's word.
00:20:52
Speaker
in their hearts and their minds. And we're talking about reading God's Word, memorizing Scripture. I heard an analogy used years ago, and he was talking about something else, but a pastor in Toledo, I think I've shared this before, he talked about Cheerio, a bowl of Cheerios. And if you give a two-year-old a bowl of Cheerios, the Cheerios are gonna end up all over the floor. You just picture your child in the high chair and you give them a whole bowl.
00:21:15
Speaker
Before you know it, I mean, the dog's eating them off the floor. You're vacuuming them up later. I mean, they're just everywhere. But if you give a two-year-old just one Cheerio, the likelihood of that one Cheerio getting from the bowl into your son or daughter's mouth is great. I think that's the image.
00:21:31
Speaker
that we're talking about is we're planting God's word in our child's heart or mind, especially in those early years is just one chariot at a time. And so you're just giving them truth upon truth upon truth. And you're, you're trusting that in time, God's going to water that you're going to do that in time. But, but I think that's just maybe an important point to remember, especially when our kids are young, they're, they're thinking more concretely. And the goal is just to fill them with God's truth.
00:21:56
Speaker
Right. And again, that's back to the basics, right? We don't have to make it so complicated. So there's the Faith Forward Family Devotional. We also have a resource that I'm not even sure we've ever mentioned this before on the podcast called The Dig for Kids. And the dig for kids is well, honey, you want to tell them because you wrote that.
00:22:16
Speaker
I you know the dick for kids started as I was just looking for a way to Teach Tyler at the time Tyler's 18. He's almost 19 and He was he was really young and he had been through a lot of the children's Bibles and I was like boy He's not quite old enough to read the Bible on his own and we've been through it felt like you know several different children's Bibles I just started writing him daily devotion Luke how old was he I?
00:22:39
Speaker
he I feel like he was probably around six ish okay and so that turned into the dig for kids and so the dig for kids there's this sort of fictitious character named Doc who takes kids on an archaeological dig and they find God's treasure they clean it up and they put it on display and so the dig is meant to be
00:22:59
Speaker
really more of a passage by passage study through different books of the Bible. So we've written them through the gospel of Luke, through Proverbs, through the book of James. And so that's just a really, really simple practical resource that a parent could take if their kids are a little bit older and you can read through, straight through a book of the Bible, but also have some helpful questions and some key ideas along the way. Right. Well, and I, what I love about that, so the dig for kids Proverbs, for instance,
00:23:26
Speaker
You're taking your child through Proverbs. Each lesson is just one page. It's very simple. But like you said, you find this treasure and that treasure is in God's Word.
00:23:41
Speaker
What is the next one? Putting it on display is really just that idea that when you dig into a passage, you find that treasure, that key idea for that lesson. And then you put it on display. I mean, just as you would take it. How would we show it to the world? How would we show it to the world? And so just as an archaeologist finds this pottery, this piece of pottery, they clean it up and then they put it on display for other people to see.
00:24:02
Speaker
And so it's very then application driven. How do I take God's word and live it out? Yeah. So the dig for kids, you can find that on Amazon. We'll also make sure that we put a link in the show notes. So there's all sorts of devotionals and Bible studies for kids. I would definitely recommend starting there, making sure you're just reading, you know, even if your kids are really little, like just reading children's Bibles with them.
00:24:26
Speaker
And then, practically, some other ways that we've, I was thinking of this, that we've taught our kids over the years, God's word, are through different games or prizes, really, so. We call that bribery. That's what that is. Totally. In the name of Jesus. Yeah, well, it works, so we'll just keep, well, they get older, it's not as fun. They get older and they get smarter, and it takes a little more work, a little more money, no.
00:24:52
Speaker
But we have, we've done fun. I remember when the kids were young, I'd make a poster board and put verses that I wanted them to memorize and give them stars, and if they memorized five, then they got a dollar, those kinds of things. Yeah, and that was so fun to them. I mean, they really liked that. We would get a very colorful poster board, write the Bible verse down their name, and then as they, like Pat said, as they memorized, they'd get prizes. The other thing that we did that I think
00:25:20
Speaker
Our kids liked you way even better than that and you did this honey is you would write the Bible verses on note cards and Hide them throughout the house remember that I had forgotten about that. Yep. Well, they really loved that And so it was kind of like a hide-and-seek
00:25:36
Speaker
And then when they found the note card, it would have the Bible verse written, well, the reference, the scripture reference written on it, and then they would have to recite the verse. And if they did, what did they get? Because I can't really remember. I don't remember. I had forgotten about that, but I'm sure it was something great.
00:25:56
Speaker
It was really special. Well, they loved it. So I guess you could come up with your own prize for that. That's right. One other quick one before we wrap up is I just think about kids that are older and those of us that have kids that are teenagers or becoming young adults. I think it's so important to then begin just rightly applying God's word to different situations or circumstances there. And it's one thing when your kids are young and you're doing what we're talking about, you're just planting those seeds.
00:26:25
Speaker
And the hope is that someday in life and different situations, God's Word is just coming out of them. I think of Matthew 4, where Jesus is being tempted by the devil. And over and over again, in that experience, he's saying, it is written. I mean, God's Word was so in him. And God's Word had not only grounded even Jesus, God in the flesh, but it was guarding him. And that's what you want for your kids as they get older. And so I think one of the things just to keep in mind, too, that I think we can do as a parent is to really then begin rightly applying
00:26:55
Speaker
God's word to specific situations that they're facing as they get older. And what I mean, you know, maybe just one practical example is Tyler, because he's older, older than our other kids. We always use him as an example. That's I know. But just even thinking about as he was getting closer to graduating high school and beginning to think about college and trying to discern God's will. I mean, just think about I remember taking a verse that he had memorized, right? I had him memorize when he was younger. You know, Proverbs three, trust in the Lord with all of your heartly, not on your own understanding.
00:27:25
Speaker
That's a word that was, or those were words that were in him. But now as he's getting older and he's encountering real life situations, it's helping God's word come alive and seeing the relevancy of God's word. And coming back to, I remember I had you memorize this when you were six years old. This is still true. And I know you don't know what you want to do right now. And it seems, this seems like a confusing season or circumstances, but I want you to remember,
00:27:50
Speaker
Proverbs chapter three. And it's coming back to some of those passages or taking God's word to maybe a temptation or a character issue that a child is facing and having them memorize that or talking through that. So I think there's lots of ways we can continue to rightly apply God's word as our kids are getting older and they're moving from thinking concretely to more abstractly. They're wrestling with the truthfulness of God's word. They get to see the fruit of that.
00:28:15
Speaker
and how that can ground them, guide them, and certainly guard them in many different situations. Yeah, and I think that when we've spent the time to teach them God's Word, I think about how many times we told our kids, now, you know, this is how God wants us to treat others, or that, you know what I mean? Like, it applies to all sorts of situations in everyday life. Just seeing the blessing of walking in obedience to God's Word.

Closing Remarks and Encouragement

00:28:40
Speaker
Yeah, one more thing I did want to mention too, is that we've all, I think it's okay to ask your child, are you doing your devotions? I mean, I know that sounds so simple.
00:28:50
Speaker
Yeah, we're going to get into that next episode of just helping our kids cultivate more of their own relationship, but absolutely just encouraging them as they get older to be doing that God time on their own and to be pursuing God's Word, I think is so important. I'm excited for the next episode. We're talking about helping your kids have that personal relationship with Jesus. So like you said, we'll get into more of that next week.
00:29:14
Speaker
Friend, we are so, so grateful you have joined us today. If we haven't met, now there's a lot of you that have introduced yourselves and I love it. We want to get to know you. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at Patrick W. Schwank and at Ruth Schwank or on Facebook. Also, don't forget everything we talked about will be at rootlikefaith.com forward slash podcast. We welcome you into our family here at Root Like Faith.
00:29:41
Speaker
Would you do us a big favor and leave us a review or rating and share this podcast with your friends. It just takes a second. It's a tremendous help to us as we spread the word about root-like faith. Be sure to tag us on social media when you do that. Well, we're so grateful for your help in getting the word out. All right, friend, we'll chat soon and we hope you have the best week.